There are hundreds of snack bars on offer in the supermarket. So how do you choose a good one?
Here are some label-reading guidelines to use when you're confronted with the snack bar aisle, and some examples to give you an idea of what to look for. (These examples were chosen to illustrate the different types of products out there, and are not meant for direct comparison).
What makes a healthy snack bar?
Label reading tips:
How much energy?
Unless you're a really active person, a good starting point is to choose a bar with less than 600kJ. Don't forget that the size of the bar affects its energy content: a 25g Jack Snack Choc Rice Crunches bar at 495kJ will not be as satisfying as a 40g Weight Watchers Fruit of the Forest Cereal Bar at 480kJ.
How much fat?
Check out the saturated fat: aim for 2g or less in a bar. You'll notice that the Nice & Natural Nut bars are quite high in fat compared to the others, but they have less saturated fat and less sugar than many of the others. These bars are high in total fats as they contain lots of nuts, but they're predominantly the 'good' fats. In general, a good guideline to look for is 5g total fat or less per bar.
How much sugar?
Next check the sugar content. We saw some bars (not listed here) with 40-50% sugars by weight (15-19g sugars per bar). Is that what you want to give your kids? Or yourself? Look for bars with 9g of sugar or less per bar.
How much fibre?
Unfortunately fibre content is not required on labelling, so not everyone puts it on. They should. Most of these bars will add some fibre to your day; something many adults need more of.
What's in it?
Ingredients are listed on packaging in order of weight. There are many additives that serve a useful purpose, for example enhancing the texture or food preservation, but I still prefer lists that I can understand.
If you want to indulge in a Cadbury Brunch bar that has, in order: milk chocolate (25%); glucose syrup; rolled oats; sugar etc, then at least by reading the ingredients you will be under no illusions as to what you are getting. Which you could be if you just read the front panel which highlights the "oats, bran, raisins, rice crisps and honey…".